NFL Week 9 picks and predictions 2026, Digi Mart USA News: NFL.com editors Jeremy Bergman, Brooke Cersosimo, Gennaro Filice, Bobby Kownack and Dan Parr have predicted the winner of every game on the Week 9 schedule. Betting lines provided by FanDuel were locked as of 2 p.m.
ET on Thursday, Nov. 5, and local and prime-time games can be streamed on mobile with NFL+.
Thursday, Nov. 5
Jaguars over Ravens. Jacksonville enters with the NFL’s No. 5 scoring offense and No. 2 scoring defense, while Baltimore is without star quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is out for the long term with a thumb injury. Backup Tyler Huntley is out for the season with a turf toe injury, and undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano, who went 10 of 21 for 91 yards and an interception in the Ravens’ Week 8 loss to the Bills, is expected to make his first NFL start on a short week against a defense with the seventh-highest pressure rate in the league at 39.6%.
Derrick Henry has not topped 58 yards rushing in any of Baltimore’s three straight losses, and Zay Flowers had zero catches on five targets against Buffalo.
Sunday, Nov. 8
Bengals over Falcons. Joe Burrow and Michael Penix Jr. both had career-defining games, with Burrow posting a career-best six total touchdowns in an overtime win and Penix throwing a career-worst four interceptions in a rain-soaked loss.
The pick centers on Tee Higgins, who ranks second in the NFL with 636 receiving yards and is on pace for nearly 1,800 yards. Burrow and Higgins have the league’s highest passer rating among QB-WR combinations with at least 45 targets at 132.3, and Atlanta’s cornerback group has been marred by injuries and inconsistency.
Panthers over Broncos. Denver has won four straight and sits atop the AFC West, but the Broncos are 4-0 at home and have struggled on the road, and their defense ranks 20th against the pass, 25th against the run and 25th on third down. Carolina is below .500 but leads a weak NFC South, and with the firing of defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and a few extra days to recover from a Thursday Night Football game, the editor expects Dave Canales’ team to earn a narrow home win.
Cowboys over Colts. Both teams are at low points in their seasons, with Indianapolis focused on the trade deadline and Dallas coming off a home loss to the Cardinals. Jonathan Taylor is set up for a strong day against Dallas’s 32nd-ranked run defense, while the key matchup will be whether Indianapolis can contain Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, who face a Colts defense ranked 30th in scoring.
Chiefs over Jets. Both teams enter on losing streaks, but the New York defense has allowed 30.7 points per game during its three-game skid, the second-most in the league over that span. Garrett Wilson is in the concussion protocol, and the Jets have not won on the road against an above-.500 team in more than two years.
Lions over Dolphins. Detroit has won three straight games and its defense has allowed its three lowest point and yardage totals of the season over that stretch. The Lions face a tough divisional schedule and a matchup with the Patriots, and the editor expects them to play like the superior team.
Saints over Browns. Shedeur Sanders is expected to start for Cleveland after Deshaun Watson entered concussion protocol. New Orleans’s run defense has allowed 139.4 rush yards per game, 29th in the NFL, but the Saints are coming off a bye with changes to their run game and kicking unit and first-round receiver Jordyn Tyson could make his debut.
Giants over Eagles. J.J. McCarthy will make his second start for the Giants, while Joe Milton III will make his first NFL start for Philadelphia after Tanner McKee was replaced.
The Giants have played close games under John Harbaugh and have dropped 12 straight at Philadelphia, but the editor expects New York to win a close game.
Rams over Commanders. Sean McVay returns to Landover for the first time with a home crowd since leaving Washington’s offensive coordinator post for Los Angeles in 2017. The Rams, at 4-4 and on a two-game winning streak, could return Myles Garrett, and Matthew Stafford leads the fourth-ranked Rams offense against a Washington team that has been carefully managing quarterback Jayden Daniels since his injury.
Texans over Chargers. The Chargers have gone nine quarters without a touchdown, scoring only 15 points over that stretch. Houston, at 2-5, has a rest advantage coming off a bye and has put up respectable points with C.J.
Stroud’s Year 4 play, and it needs a win to salvage its season.
49ers over Raiders. Las Vegas snapped a four-game losing streak with a road win over the Jets, but San Francisco has the advantage in most major categories. Nick Bosa is expected to return from injury for the first time since Sept. 20, and DeForest Buckner, brought back by GM John Lynch, has recorded four sacks and eight quarterback hits as a defensive tackle this season.
Patriots over Packers. Both teams have won four of their last five games and have top-10 defenses. Green Bay’s run game is averaging an NFL-worst 60.6 rush yards per game and 2.9 yards per carry, while New England allows the sixth-fewest rush yards per game at 92.6, so the editor expects the Packers’ ground struggles to catch up with them.
Seahawks over Cardinals. Sam Darnold is sidelined with a quad injury, and Drew Lock is expected to start again for Seattle, which has the league’s top-ranked defense. Gardner Minshew takes over at quarterback for Arizona, which is in his first start of the season at Seattle.
Bears over Buccaneers. Tampa Bay’s recent winning streak, including a win in a rain-soaked game where it did not complete a pass, is not seen as sustainable. Chicago has won prime-time games against the Patriots and Seahawks and is led by Caleb Williams and a defense featuring Jeffery Simmons.
Monday, Nov. 9
Bills over Vikings. With Kyler Murray battling a hamstring injury, Carson Wentz starts for Minnesota. Buffalo’s defense is blitzing at a 71.0% rate, the highest in the league, and the Bills have strong running back James Cook, while Minnesota allows the 17th-most rushing yards per game.
The editor expects Minnesota to struggle to keep pace with Buffalo’s offense.
